Reusable carrying bag system

ABSTRACT

A carrying bag including at least two compartment bags, flexible straps interconnecting the compartment bags a predetermined separation S between one another, and flexible carrying handles.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/012,995, filed Jun. 17, 2014, which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to carrying bags generally and to reusable carrying bag systems in particular.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Carrying bags are used for many applications. Some may be used to carry items of manufacture while others may be used to carry food products. They may come in diverse sizes and are sometimes reusable.

The reusable bags are generally washable and may be manufactured of a relatively light-weight material. In some cases, the bags may be designed allow viewing the items inside the bag without having to open the bag. In some cases, the bags may be part of a carrying bag system which may include two reusable bags or more. In some cases, the bags may have compartments to allow different items to be stored in different compartments.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,241 describes a “joinable, soft-sided containers (10) include individual containers (12, 14) each having a compartment (20, 22). Individual containers (12, 14) have handle portions (16, 18) extending outwardly therefrom which each include, in turn, a first panel (50, 52) and a second panel (54, 56). Each first panel (50, 52) has an opening (60, 62) therein that may serve as a handle when the individual containers (12, 14) are used individually. The containers (12, 14) may be configured into a saddlebag configuration by joining the second panels (54, 56) such that openings (64, 66) in the second panels (54, 56) align to form a single opening that may be placed over a handle (76) of a briefcase (74). The individual containers (12, 14) may also be configured into a single container (80) having two compartments (20, 22) by joining the rear walls (24, 26) of the containers (12, 14) and joining the first panels (50, 52) such that the opening (60, 62) in the first panels (50, 52) align and form a single handle”

U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,860 describes “an inexpensive, washable, reusable shopping bag assembly includes a flexible woven fabric primary bag and a plurality of flexible woven fabric auxiliary bags that are substantially equal in size to the primary bag. The primary bag includes a plurality of compartments or pockets storing the auxiliary bags so that they can be removed as necessary and used to store and carry shopping items. The primary bag itself may also be used to carry shopping items.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,385 describes “a shopping bag kit includes a carrying case of collapsible material and a plurality of reusable shopping bags folded and rolled up into reinforcing columns placed in compartments within the carrying case for assisting in maintaining the carrying case erect to facilitate carrying the kit and the selective withdrawal and deployment of each shopping bag for use.

CN103082606 “discloses a vegetable basket, which concretely comprises a basket body, wherein compartments with different sizes are arranged inside the basket body, and different things can be separately placed in various compartments during shopping so as to avoid colliding extrusion of the things having different natures, such that advantages of convenience, practicality, safety and health are provided. The vegetable basket is particularly suitable for residents when going to the market or supermarket shopping”.

US Patent Application Publication 2010/0072279 discloses “a reusable bag includes a fabric body having an interior volume and an opening that provides access to the interior volume. The fabric body including a plurality of threads oriented and spaced apart so as to form a net structure for securing at least one grocery product within the interior volume. At least a portion of the net structure is sized and shaped to allow an optical product identifier received in the interior volume and on or associated with the at least one grocery product to be optically identified through the net structure using an optical scanner”.

Other reusable bags are described in US 2010/320246, US 2011/270696, US 2009/290816, US 2012/087601, GB 24554288, and in http://www.reuseit.com/ reusable produce-bags/flip-and-tumble-flip-and-tumble-reusable produce-bags-set-of-5.htm.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

There is provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a carrying bag including at least two compartment bags, flexible straps interconnecting the compartment bags a predetermined separation S between one another, and flexible carrying handles.

There is further provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a carrying bag system including at least two carrying bags, each bag including at least two compartment bags, flexible straps interconnecting the compartment bags a predetermined separation S between one another, fasteners, and flexible carrying handles.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the flexible straps are permanently attached to the compartment bags.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the flexible straps are removably attached to the compartment bags.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the at least one of a front side and a back side of the compartments bags comprises a Tulle fabric.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a bottom side of the compartment bags includes a Tulle fabric.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one lateral side of the compartment bags includes a Tulle fabric.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a bottom side and/or at least one lateral side of the compartment bags includes multiple openings.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the compartment bags are colored.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the carrying bag includes fasteners.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fasteners comprise a hook and loop fastener.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fasteners are attached to the flexible straps.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the carrying bag is reusable.

A method of using a carrying bag comprising at least two compartment bags, flexible straps interconnecting the compartment bags a predetermined separation S between one another, and flexible carrying handles, the method includes placing products in the compartment bags by associating a color of each compartment bag with a particular product.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the products are fruits and/or vegetables.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes placing each compartment bag with a fruit or vegetable on a weighing scale one at a time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with objects, features, and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary reusable carrying bag, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a top view of the carrying bag, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a front view of the carrying bag, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a top view of a reusable carrying bag system including multiple carrying bags, according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of an exemplary method of using the carrying bag and the carrying bag system.

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention.

The Applicant has realized that reusable carrying bags and reusable carrying bag systems known in the art, and in particular bags used for carrying food products, frequently require the food products to be manipulated a number of times by the buyer, making the whole food purchasing process burdensome and time consuming. For example, the buyer may need to handle the food products when picking them up from the shelf or storage bin where they are located to insert them into the bag; he may remove them from the bag at the purchase counter possibly to weigh them and also to pay and then repack them into the bag after paying; and he may additionally remove them from the bag to store them once arrived at home.

The Applicant has further realized that the drawbacks associated with the above-mentioned reusable carrying bags and reusable carrying bag systems may be overcome with a reusable lightweight carrying bag which includes multiple foldable smaller bags which may serve as separate compartments to allow different items to be separately placed inside the bags. The compartment bags may be interconnected on a front side and on a back side using flexible straps and flexible carrying handles, and may be fabricated from a substantially very lightweight material which may allow optical identification of the items inside each compartment bag with the naked eye and/or optical scanner. Such a reusable carrying bag may allow each compartment bag to be individually manipulated so that its contents do not have to be removed during weighing and/or during paying. The Applicant has additionally realized that a reusable carrying bag system may be implemented by detachably connecting multiple carrying bags together, increasing the number of compartment bags available for holding different items.

Reference is now made to FIG. 1 which schematically illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary reusable carrying bag 100, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Reference is also made to FIGS. 2 and 3 which schematically illustrate a top view and a front view, respectively, of carrying bag 100. Carrying bag 100 may be used to hold different items, which may include food products such as fruits and/or vegetables, among other products.

Carrying bag 100 may include multiple compartment bags, for example, two compartment bags 102A and 102B interconnected on a front side 103A by a flexible strap 104A and on a back side 103B by a flexible strap 104B attached to the compartment bags. Flexible straps 104A and 104B may be permanently attached to compartment bags 102A and 102B, for example, by means of stitching, adhesives, or other suitable attachment methods known in the art, or any combination thereof. Alternatively, flexible straps 104A and 104B may be removably attached to compartment bags 102A and 102B allowing a user to replace the compartment bags as desired. A fastening mechanism to allow removable attachment of flexible straps 104A and 104B with compartment bags 102A and 102B may include use of hook and loop fasteners, snap buttons, a zipper mechanism, or other suitable fastening mechanism which may allow the compartment bags to be attached to, and detached from, flexible straps 104A and 104B.

Carrying bag 100 may additionally include two flexible carrying handles 106A and 106B which may be attached at their ends to compartment bags 102A and 102B, possibly at two locations on flexible straps 104A and 104B as shown. Means for attaching flexible straps 104A and 104B to compartment bags 102A and 102B, and to fasten flexible carrying handles 106A and 106B to the compartment bags and/or to the flexible straps may include use of stitching, adhesives, or other suitable methods known in the art, or any combination thereof.

Compartment bags 102A and 102B may each hold a different item, for example, oranges 105 in compartment bag 102A and apples 107 in compartment bag 102B. Flexible straps 104A and 104B may interconnect compartment bags 102A and 102B so that there is a separation S between the bags which may allow each bag to be separately manipulated. For example, separation S may be sufficiently large to allow compartment bags 102A and 102B to be weighed separately, and may be at least 8 cm, 10 cm, 12 cm, 15 cm, 20 cm, 25 cm, or more. Similarly, flexible handles 106A and 106B may each have an end-to-end length to allow compartment bags 102A and 102B to be manipulated separately.

Compartment bags 102A and 102B may be wholly or partially manufactured from a substantially very lightweight and transparent material to allow identification of oranges 105 and apples 107 through the material with the naked eye. The material may additionally allow reading of product barcode labels or other form of labelling using an optical reader or other product label reader through the material. The material may additionally allow adequate ventilation of oranges 105 and apples 107 when carrying bag 100 is exposed to ambient temperatures and the carrying bag is placed inside a cooling compartment (e.g. refrigerator) in order to preserve freshness. For example, front side 103A and/or back side 103B of compartment bags 102A and 102B may be fabricated from Tulle, or other suitable material known in the art.

Lateral sides 111 and bottom sides 113 on compartment bags 102A and 102B may additionally be fabricated from Tulle similarly to front side 103A and 103B, or alternatively, may be fabricated from a foldable lightweight material which may be washable such as, for example, a washable natural or synthetic fabric. Lateral sides 111 and bottom sides 113 may be mesh shaped or may include multiple openings to allow rinsing the exterior and the interior of compartment bags 102A and 102B and to allow adequate ventilation through the openings.

Compartment bags 102A and 102B may each be wholly or partially colored with a different color as an identifier which may allow a user to associate each compartment bag with its contents, potentially facilitating the purchasing process. For example, compartment bag 102A may be partially or wholly colored in orange to allow the user to associate the compartment with oranges 105, while compartment bag 102B may be colored in red associated with apples 107. Compartment bags 102A and 102B may sometimes have a same color, for example orange, as an identifier that carrying bag 100 is to be associated with holding oranges 105. The skilled person may realize that carrying bag 100 may include compartment bags 102A and 102B in a diversity of colors which may be associated by the user with product identification such as, for example, green for lettuce, white for onions, and yellow for pineapple, among many others.

Compartment bags 102A and 102B may be foldable and may be rectangular-shaped as shown, and may have dimensions when folded 35 cm in height by 25 cm wide. When opened, a size of an opening may be 25 cm. The above given shape and dimensions are for exemplary purposes, and the skilled person will realize that the compartment bags may have other shapes and dimensions suitable to hold product items.

Reference is now also made to FIG. 4 which schematically illustrates a top view of an exemplary reusable carrying bag system 150, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Carrying bag system 150 may include multiple carrying bags detachably attached, for example two carrying bags 100 as shown, although more carrying bags may be included.

Carrying bags 100 are joined together by means of at least two fasteners 152 included on front side 103A and back side 103B of each carrying bag. Fasteners 152 may include hook and loop fasteners, snap buttons, a zipper mechanism, or other suitable fastening mechanism which may allow carrying bags to be attached to, and detached from, one another. Fasteners 152 may be positioned with one side of the fastening attached on one side of carrying bag 100 and the other side of the fastening mechanism attached on the other, for example for a hook and loop fastener, the hooks on front side 103A and the loops on back side 103B. In this manner, two carrying bags 100 may be joined together merely by joining front side 103A of one carrying bag to back side 103B of the other carrying bag. Fasteners 152 may be attached on front side 103A and back side 103B on compartment bags 102A and 102B, respectively, and may include attachment to flexible straps 104A and 104B. Fasteners 152 may be additionally attached at other locations along the length of flexible straps 104A and 104B.

Reference is now made to FIG. 5 which is a flow chart of an exemplary method of using carrying bag 100 and carrying bag system 150. The skilled person will realize that the following method described is for exemplary purposes and that the method may be practiced with more or less steps, skipping steps, inserting in-between steps, and modifying steps.

At optional step 500, a user of carrying bag 100 may assemble one or more bags, for example two carrying bags, by selecting 4 flexible straps (104A and 104B) and 4 compartment bags and attaching 2 compartment bags to two flexible straps. The user may select the compartment bags according to colors associated with the products to be purchased, for example, orange for oranges, red for apples, green for cucumbers, and red for tomatoes. The carrying handles (106A and 106B) may be permanently attached to the flexible straps or the user may removably attach them to the flexible straps or to the compartment bags.

At step 502, the user may attach carrying bags 100 together to create a carrying bag system 150. If the carrying bags are preassembled (not from optional step 500), the user may select the carrying bags according to the colors of the compartment bags, for example, one carrying bag may have two red compartment bags (one for the apples and one for the tomatoes), and the other may have a green compartment bag (for the cucumbers) and an orange compartment bag (for the oranges).

At step 504, the user in the store, for example a fruit and vegetable store, may proceed to select the products. The user may place the oranges in the orange compartment bag, the cucumbers in the green compartment bag, the tomatoes in one of the red compartment bags, and the apples in the other compartment bag.

At step 506, the user may proceed to the cashier to weigh and pay for the fruits and vegetables. At the cashier the user places each compartment bag one by one on the scale for weighing. Prior to placing on the scale, the user may first detach the two carrying bags 100 from one another so as to allow handling of each bag separately on the scale. The weight of the compartment bag may be substantially negligible compared to the weight of the produce so that the user may not be concerned with its weight. For example, a weight of each compartment bag 102A and 102B, when empty, may be in a range between 0-0.5 kg, for example, 100 grams, 200 grams, 300 grams, 350 grams, 400 grams, or more until 500 grams. A weight of compartment bags 102A and 102B when holding items, for example oranges 105 and apples 107 may be in the range between 0 kg-5 kg or greater, for example, 0.5 kg, 1 kg, 1.5 kg, 2 kg, 3 kg, 3,5 kg, 4 kg, 4,5 kg, 5 kg, or greater. The products may be identified by viewing them through any one of the sides of the compartment bag with the Tulle material. Optionally, labels on the products (i.e. for determining price of the products) may be optically read by nearing an optical reader to the side with the Tulle material.

At step 508, the user at home, may detach the two carrying bags 100 from one another

At optional step 510, the user may disassemble each carrying bag 100 and may remove each compartment bag with the fruits and vegetables inside the compartment bags.

At step 512, the user may place the carrying bags 100 with the fruits and vegetables inside the refrigerator. If the carrying bags were previously disassembled (from optional step 510), the user may place each compartment bags with the fruits and vegetables inside the refrigerator.

While certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents will now occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A carrying bag comprising: at least two compartment bags; flexible straps interconnecting said compartment bags a predetermined separation S between one another; and flexible carrying handles.
 2. A carrying bag according to claim 1 wherein said flexible straps are permanently attached to said compartment bags.
 3. A carrying bag according to claim 1 wherein said flexible straps are removably attached to said compartment bags.
 4. A carrying bag according to claim 1 wherein at least one of a front side and a back side of said compartments bags comprises a Tulle fabric.
 5. A carrying bag according to claim 1 wherein a bottom side of said compartment bags comprises a Tulle fabric.
 6. A carrying bag according to claim 1 wherein at least one lateral side of said compartment bags comprises a Tulle fabric.
 7. A carrying bag according to claim 1 wherein a bottom side and/or at least one lateral side of said compartment bags comprises multiple openings.
 8. A carrying bag according to claim 1 wherein each said compartment bags is colored.
 9. A carrying bag according to claim 1 further comprising fasteners.
 10. A carrying bag according to claim 9 wherein said fasteners comprise a hook and loop fastener.
 11. A carrying bag according to claim 9 wherein said fasteners are attached to said flexible straps.
 12. A carrying bag according to claim 1 wherein the carrying bag is reusable.
 13. A carrying bag system comprising: at least two carrying bags, each bag comprising: at least two compartment bags; flexible straps interconnecting said compartment bags a predetermined separation S between one another; fasteners; and flexible carrying handles.
 14. A carrying bag system according to claim 13 wherein said flexible straps are permanently attached to said compartment bags.
 15. A carrying bag system according to claim 13 wherein said flexible straps are removably attached to said compartment bags.
 16. A carrying bag system according to claim 13 wherein at least one of a front side and a back side of said compartments bags comprises a Tulle fabric.
 17. A carrying bag system according to claim 13 wherein a bottom side of said compartment bags comprises a Tulle fabric.
 18. A carrying bag system according to claim 13 wherein at least one lateral side of said compartment bags comprises a Tulle fabric.
 19. A carrying bag according to claim 13 wherein a bottom side and/or at least one lateral side of said compartment bags comprises a multiple openings.
 20. A carrying bag according to claim 13 wherein each said compartment bags are colored. 